MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader against Bentley University, losing the first game by an 11-9 margin before walking off with a 3-2 win to conclude the day.

The Hawks own a 5-5 overall record and a 1-3 record within the Northeast-10 Conference heading into Monday's doubleheader against the Falcons (3-3, 3-3 NE10). The seven-inning victory for Saint Anselm snapped a nine-game losing skid to Bentley.

In the opening game, the Hawks trailed by as many as six runs heading into the home half of the seventh inning. The Hawks pushed across seven runs to take a 9-8 lead, thanks to a go-ahead grand slam by Ben Horsfall (Westborough, Mass.), but the Falcons scored three times in the final two innings to claim victory.

The Hawks trailed for most of the second game, but scored two runs in the home half of the seventh to walk-off the Falcons, 3-2. The big blow in the contest came off the bat of Mike Borrelli (Salisbury, Mass.), whose two-run single to left field won the game.

Junior Kyle Maurice (Exeter, N.H.) and senior Salvatore Pezzolla (East Greenbush, N.Y.) have reached base in all 10 games to date with the latter extending a hitting streak to six games with a strong performance this afternoon.

With three home runs in the first game of the doubleheader, Saint Anselm has now slugged 21 home runs through just 10 games, the 11th-most in the all-time history of the program. The Hawks had not hit more than 20 home runs in a season since the 2012 season (25).

The Hawks have also scored five or more runs in an inning five times this season. The team has also slugged three grand slams to date and has batted .357 as a team (5-for-14) with the bases loaded.

GAME ONE – Bentley 11, Saint Anselm 9

Hawks starter Will Conaton (Windham, N.H.) opened the game with three strikeouts in the first inning and he was rewarded by a deep home run to right field by Maurice. The lead would be short-lived, however, as three runs came across to score in the top of the second after a home run by the Falcons.

A bases-loaded walk by Pezzolla cut into the Bentley lead, with the Hawks trailing by only a 3-2 score, but an RBI single by Bentley in the top of the fifth preceded a three-run top of the sixth. Bentley ended up scoring at least one run in each of the final five innings, but the Hawks did make things interesting.

Down by a 8-2 score, the Hawks exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore Brady Doran (Stony Brook, N.Y.) lined a solo shot to right and junior Matt Collins (Beverly, Mass.) followed with a double to left-center. Maurice reached on a hit-by-pitch and later came home with Collins on a two-run single by Pezzolla.

The big blow in the inning came on a Horsfall swing – he lifted a dramatic grand slam over the tall fence in left field, clearing the bases. The Hawks ultimately took advantage of four hits and a Bentley error to take the lead, 9-8.

Bentley regained the lead in the top of the eighth, using three balks and an RBI single to put the game away. With the leadoff hit batter reaching second following a sacrifice bunt, the game-tying run came across the plate on a balk. The RBI single came with two outs in the inning, upping the Bentley lead to 10-9.

The 11th run of the afternoon for Bentley crossed the plate in the top of the ninth inning as a lead-off double came around to score on an infield groundout. The Hawks had the tying run at the plate, but a sharp lineout to right field ended the game. Freshman Nolan Elmore (Exeter, N.H.), who notched his first collegiate hit earlier in the game on a double, made things interesting with another double late, but the Hawks could not score him.

Conaton finished the game with eight strikeouts, logging at least that many in each of his four starts on the season. To date, he has punched out 33 batters in just 22 innings, conceding just nine walks. He did, however, allow five earned runs on the day but exited the contest with a no decision.

Andy Grygorcewicz (Northampton, Mass.) pitched well in relief, despite allowing an earned run in one inning of work. He induced a groundout and a fly-out before allowing a solo home run to center field. Grygorcewicz did strike out his final batter of the afternoon.

Junior Taylor French (Goffstown, N.H.) drew the loss, pitching two innings and allowing five hits, three earned runs and committing three balks. He did strike out two Bentley batters.

Liam Sears powered Bentley's offense with four hits in five at-bats, hitting the home run off of Grygorcewicz in his inning of relief. Al Paolozzi had three runs driven in as Bentley saw five batters record multiple-hit contests in the win.

GAME TWO – Saint Anselm 3, Bentley 2

Saint Anselm starter Ryan Schworer (Medfield, Mass.) got into trouble in the top of the first inning, but settled down after his throwing error to first base saw two runs cross the plate. He finished the frame with two strikeouts and induced a line-out to center field to escape further trouble, including the bases loaded.

The Hawks starter finished the game with six strong innings, not allowing an earned run and fanning a career-high 10 batters. He danced around trouble throughout the game, stranding a total of nine Bentley baserunners.

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Pezzolla singled through the left side to score Collins, who reached via a hit by pitch to halve the Falcons lead. With two runners on, however, Bentley was able to escape the Saint Anselm threat with a strikeout.

Freshman Will Hunter (Middleton, Mass.) took the ball from Schworer in the top of the seventh inning. After retiring the first batter he faced, he issued two walks and a single to load the bases. He was able to settle down and get a strikeout and induce a ground ball fielder's choice that Doran fired over to Collins at shortstop to dance around the dangerous threat.

The Hawks won the game with the help of a hit-by-pitch to begin the home half of the second inning. After a strikeout by Saint Anselm to put one out on the board, Doran swiped second base and later scored on a Maurice RBI single through the left side. Pezzolla was hit by a pitch, placing two runners on for Borrelli, whose two-RBI single down the left field line won the game for the Hawks.

Bentley starter Evan Christopulos as strong, striking out eight batters through five innings and allowing just the early damage. Ryan Berardino, a 2019 Major League Baseball draft pick of the Boston Red Sox, had three of his team's six hits and, collectively, Bentley drew seven walks on the day.